Of Squirrels and Wizards
by venusgirl
Summary: The Watcher attempts to talk Aloth into eating squirrel stew and teaching her magic.


Author's Note: This story is set pretty early on in PoE1, before the Brackenbury Sanitarium. The characters are definitely still getting to know each other.

My Watcher is human, ocean folk, from the Deadfire, and a cipher.

"Of Squirrels and Wizards"

"Sagani, this is delicious!" Samudra exclaimed. "Where did you learn to cook like this?" The Watcher gathered another spoonful of squirrel and potato stew and smiled.

"It's the bes' stew I've e'er eaten!" Edér mumbled through a mouthful.

Sagani chuckled. "I'm glad you like it. It's one of Kallu's favorites." Her gaze dropped slightly before raising again. She smiled warmly at Samudra. "I can teach you how to make it."

Samudra felt her chest constrict. She couldn't imagine what it must be like to be apart from your lover for five years. "Well, Kallu is the luckiest man in Masuuk, then! And I'd love that. If I ever get a chance to settle down, I'll be having this dish once a week." She peered over at Aloth, sitting apart from the others, whose bowl was set aside still full of stew. She stood up with her bowl and walked the distance between them and sat beside him. Noticing the minute stiffness that overcame his shoulders, she scooted away a few inches, but stayed close enough that she could easily attempt a conversation with the antisocial elf.

For the first few minutes she stayed quiet, eating her stew and watching him read his grimoire from the corner of her eye. When she noticed that his muscles were no longer tensed, she asked, "Don't you like the stew?"

Aloth looked at the bowl the way one looks at something on the bottom of their boot. "I'm not sure my stomach is equipped to handle rodent."

"Oh," she replied. "An Aedyran thing?"

He frowned, but wasn't given a chance to respond before another question was fired at him. "Why do you read that?" she asked, pointing at his grimoire. "Don't you know all the spells by heart?"

Aloth raised his eyebrows and looked at her. "No, certainly not. Besides, even if I did, my grimoire is itself a magical item." He returned his gaze to his grimoire, content that he had fully explained this phenomena.

"Wait. So, if I said a spell from that grimoire, it would work? It's just the book that has magic?" She glanced at the wizard with pure curiosity and excitement.

Aloth sighed and attempted to answer in what he hoped was an instructor like voice, "No, magic takes training." Seeing the Watcher's look of confusion, he continued. "You see, a grimoire is magical. The binding and pages are made with very rare materials that allows for the absorption of soul energy around it." Samudra leaned closer to peer at the book better, her beaded locks falling over her shoulder. "What the wizard does is learns to harness and redirect that power, guiding it to the target the caster wishes. It takes years to learn to fully control even simple spells and decades to perform higher level spells. So," he concluded, "even if I did have every single spell memorized, it wouldn't matter, because the pages contain the magic."

Samudra gazed up at him in awe. "That's incredible! How long have you been studying? Do you think you could teach me? You know, just a bit."

Aloth studied her practically bouncing form dubiously. Hesitantly he said, "It takes quite a bit of patience."

Samudra sat as still as possible, only fidgeting a slight bit. "Patient. Got it. What else?"

Aloth looked at her incredulously and started laughing. "I'm not sure I'm entirely convinced. It takes time, too, and perseverance. But if you think you can endure, I can try and teach you some of what I know." He couldn't help but smile as her face lit up with joy and excitement.

"Really?" she cried. "Oh, I could hug you!" At the look of shock on the elf's face, she added, "I won't, though. Hey! I bet I could teach you some useful things, too!"

"I don't think someone can be taught to be a cipher. Or a Watcher," Aloth asserted.

Samudra waved her hand at him absently, her beaded bracelets knocking to together with a soft clacking sound. "No, of course not. But I could teach you some simple methods to shield your mind from attacks," she offered gaily.

Aloth smiled warmly. "I would greatly appreciate that. Thank you."

Samudra picked up her bowl and stood, brushing dirt from the seat of her trousers. "You know," she said before you turned, "Sagani might get her feelings hurt if you don't at least try the stew. You might even like it." She winked and walked away, leaving Aloth alone with his stew and his grimoire.

Aloth watched her walk away, then glanced at the bowl of stew. "I'm almost certainly going to regret this," he thought. Full of apprehension, he picked up the bowl and scooped a tiny spoonful into his mouth, chewing it slowly and taking in the flavors. It wasn't entirely atrocious, and now unable to ignore his growling stomach, he finished the bowl. Standing, he brought his bowl and spoon to the small wash basin and washed his dishes.

Sagani turned to him and laughed. Edér snickered in the background. "Well, I'll be. I didn't take Aedyrans for squirrel eaters," the dwarf exclaimed, throwing a bite of squirrel meat to Itumaak. The fox snatched the morsel from the air with ease and sidled up to his master's leg, licking his chops. She bent and scratched his snow white fur. "I wouldn't," she said in a warning tone as Edér slowly reached his hand out to the fox.

Aloth saw Samudra trying to hide a smile, and their eyes locked for a brief moment. He cleared his throat. "We don't. It was your excellent cooking talent that persuaded my palette."

Sagani let out a low whistle. "Well, I'll be," she repeated, appraising Aloth with interest.

Samudra's face broke into a large grin. Aloth felt a small flutter in his chest. "Well," he stammered. "I suppose I'm going to retire for the evening." With that, he turned his back and retreated to his tent, feeling the Watcher's eyes on his back.


End file.
